


Vous Me Voyez? [ Volume 3 ]

by strxwbrry_jam



Series: The Akira Chronicles [3]
Category: Akira (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Angst, Anti-Government Groups, Biker Gangs, Blood and Violence, Bulimia, Burns, Character Development, Child Abuse, Cyberpunk, Developing Identity, Disturbing Themes, Drama, Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Eating Disorders, F/M, Fluff, Heavy Angst, Hysteria, Insanity, Kaneda and Ranze’s Relationship Gets Complex, Lack of confidence, Martial Law - Freeform, Mentions of Sex, Mommy Issues, Nudity, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Romance, Science Fiction, Shinto, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Swearing, Trauma, Underage Smoking, graphic description of violence, psychic powers, teenage romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:27:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25938883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strxwbrry_jam/pseuds/strxwbrry_jam
Summary: Safety is no longer an option for Ranze Hayasaka and the Neo-Tokyo Resistance as they’ve started to delve deeper into the hideous, foul secrets regarding the government and ESP Project. They’ve witnessed the awakening of the hugest threat known to human kind, let alone the city of metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, and have taken him into their custody while Lady Miyako’s group searches for them. With the tensions rising and childhood trauma biting back at all of them, there’s overwhelming difficulties they must move past from.Neo-Tokyo is going to explode, and the unloved youth is all that there is to fight back against these malevolent forces.
Relationships: Akira / Original Character, Chiyoko / Original Character, Colonel Shikishima / Original Character, Kaneda Shoutarou / Original Character, Kei / Original Character, Kiyoko / Original Character, Masaru / Original Character, Nezu / Original Character, Ryusaku / Original Character, Takashi / Original Character, Tetsuo Shima / Original Character
Series: The Akira Chronicles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679344
Comments: 5
Kudos: 13





	1. A Multitude of Dreams

[ ♡ ]

ＫＹＯＵＳＵＫＥ

Kyousuke Takanashi trudged down the tunnel, doing his very best to shake off the inexplicable fear that gripped him mercilessly since Tetsuo’s bloodcurdling scream had been heard from across the site. All around the group of teenagers, there was the aftermath of chaos and anarchy. What was once a benevolent, bustling city with class and culture was now reduced to rubble and scum. He scowled, hating passionately the knot of hope that had sent low flutters all over his abdomen. He didn’t want to be stuck in this shit hole, escaping with some kid and creating more problems for himself and his comrades. But they were already neck deep into the government’s business, and once you go back in you can’t go back out he kept telling himself. 

Kyousuke shook his head, removing all of those pessimistic thoughts from his head as they climbed over the rocks and debris that had been scattered all over the place—before they had gone under an old overpass. All of his friends were safe and at his side for the time being. First there was Ranze, a cold bitch he didn’t immediately take a liking to, but he respected her as she had goals, and was willing to stick to them. Kaneda, his partner in crime and one of his only friends he felt like he could trust. Michiru, he didn’t know her well but she was undeniably adorable and could make a living off of her looks alone. And finally, _Kei_. Oh, where could he begin with Kei. She was bossy and snappy at some points, but there was a hidden, likable side to her that made his heart melt. He would be lying if he said there was a girl more wonderful than Kei, she was just _that_ amazing to him.

“ _Hey, Kyousuke-kun!!_ ” The aforementioned “goddess” barked behind him, sending him out of his reverie within the drop of a hat. 

‘ _Shit, speak of the devil_ ,’ Kyousuke thought as he whipped his head around to look at the short-haired girl. Her hand landed on his shoulder, making his heart erupt with joy as he then tried to relax himself while under hand gripped his shoulder steadily. “Yeah, Kei?”

Kei sighed softly as she dragged her gaze back to the large plume of smoke in the distance that’d dissolved into the air. “You’re walking too fast. I get that you want to leave, but don’t leave us behind!”

Kyousuke gave her a gentle glance, smirking devilishly at her words. “I wouldn’t dream of it, _sweets_.”

Kei let out a loud snort and removed her hand, shoving him away quickly as she turned back to Ranze and the others. ‘I fucking ruined it! Stupid fucking hormones always making a fool out me,’ Kyousuke criticized himself internally as rubbed the spot on his shoulder where her hand once resided.

“I’m not sure if Tetsuo survived that blast,” Ranze murmured as they looked off into the distance. Kaneda simply growled at the mentioning of his childhood friend. “We have to go. Once they’ve pinpointed his location, they’ll start looking for Akira.”

Kaneda was half-turned away, his head craning up to the sky as he let out a loud hollering of Tetsuo’s name. Kyousuke couldn’t quite grasp why Kaneda had yelled the murderous teenager’s name, but he didn’t dare to question him as they had to get moving. Kyousuke ushered the younger teenagers to follow him as he took the lead, leading them under the overpass as the oldest boy had to think of a way to safely get them home. 

[ ♡ ]

ＳＥＴＳＵＫＯ

Setsuko hurried down the halls of Lady Miyako’s temple, looking for the room where Mr Nezu and Lady Miyako were congregating. Blood stains plagued the fabric of the girl’s shirt, as she had gotten into another scuffle with her peers—resulting in her with a bloody nose and the collar of her shirt speckled with dots of her own blood. She walked faster, her hand constantly working at the silver bracelet clasped around her thin wrist. It wasn’t a good luck charm in any sense, but she had a habit of always wearing it—even unsure why she always opted to dawn it. 

Setsuko looked outside, but barely registered the dark storm clouds rolling in from the nearby Old City and the distant rumblings of thunder. What would she say to Lady Miyako and Mr Nezu when they saw her looking like this? She simply sped up once more, turned a corner and cursed when she saw the old priestess walking with her most loved pupils, Sakaki. “There you are, Setsuko.”

In answer she gave a tiny nod and walked closer to them. Setsuko’s nylons were torn and her knees were bloody, she looked like a mess as she ran a hand through her pristine black hair. “Pardon my appearance.. I just got back from—never mind that.”

Sakaki answered her in a near whisper, displaying her very timid nature. “Any insight on... Mr Nezu?”

Setsuko pulled the dark clumps of hair that covered her face, exposing her striking onyx eyes as she stared at the shorter, younger girl with careful eyes. “He’s meeting with another member of the Resistance, hopefully. I don’t know when yet, but I’ll alert you on more of it when I can.”

Lady Miyako nodded carefully, tapping her cane against the wooden floorboards as she walked beside the two girls. “Thank you. I’m sorry I couldn’t give either of you enough time for your feminine training, especially Sakaki. But I believe you’ve already come of age, my spitfire, Setsuko.”

“Please, Lady Miyako, don’t trouble yourself over me and Setsuko. You have so many more important worries.” The tiny girl’s voice cracked slightly as she spoke, brushing off the old woman’s worries.

“It can’t be helped, so it’s best not too stress over it too much.” Setsuko added as she pulled out her small box of cigarettes and her lighter, before lighting the “cancer stick” and took a long drag of it.

“You’re a good child, Sakaki,” Lady Miyako responded gently before abruptly letting go of the girl’s hand. “Now go, immediately!”

Sakaki bowed to her superior and scurried off, leaving the older girl and the priestess alone. Setsuko placed a gentle hand on the old woman’s shoulder, before Lady Miyako touched her hand. “I can no longer cry, my spitfire... No more tears will leave my eyes.”

[ ♡ ]

ＫＡＮＥＤＡ

Kaneda’s breath thickened and lodged in his throat at the sewer lid was pushed open by Kei as the older girl heaved herself out carefully, crawling out from under the car—followed by Kyousuke, Michiru, and Ranze. He could hear the distant crashing of windows and men hollering incoherent phrases. The ruffian could infer that they were looting after hearing about the fate of the world, which chilled him to the bone—shit was seriously going to get really real from then on, as they had this kid in their possession, who was practically the golden goose of the government. 

Kaneda pulled himself out from hole in the ground, before bluntly hitting his head on the underside of the car that was parked in front of it. “Ack, piece of shit! What a stupid fucking place for someone to park their car!” He wailed as he rubbed the top of his head while his other hand pulled the little boy from under the car. 

He could hear the distant whirring of machinery from behind him, which ultimately piqued his curiosity as he whipped his head around quickly—only to see a bulbous, mechanical spider standing before him at the end of the alleyway. “W-What... What is that...?” Kaneda asked himself in complete disbelief as it rotated itself and turned the corner, leaving the teenager in bewilderment. “Oh, _fuck..._ Guys! There’s like a big mechanical spider! Did you get a look at it—“

Suddenly, Michiru brought her hand to his cheek and slapped him out of his panicked bouts. The boy recoiled and placed a hand on the searing red mark on his cheek, looking up at the younger girl with angry eyes. “Why the fuck did you do that!?”

“You’re being too loud.. You need to have a look at what’s going on. I think we missed something while we were away...” Michiru said as she ushered him to the corner where the other three teenagers were watching the streets. All over the streets there was anarchy—people smashing into windows and stealing all sorts of paraphernalia, beating each other to pulps and screaming about God knows what.

“What even fucking happened?” Kyousuke muttered to the others as they all watched with great fear in their eyes.

“Something serious enough to spark up riots— _Wait a minute!_ ” Ranze yelped as a swarm of those mechanical spiders appeared from out of nowhere, charging through the streets with great viciousness. 

“Fuck! There’s more of them!!” Kaneda gulped as he backed away a bit, his eyes not peeling away from the chaos that was ensuing before them.

“But what even are they?” Kei stood against the wall, her eyes widening with terror as they machines approached the rebelling citizens, before opening the little hatches and sending electric shocks to them—ultimately killing them within the blink of an eye.

“I-I can’t look!” Michiru whimpered as she hugged Ranze, burying her face into the older girl’s chest as Ranze continued to watch, covering her mouth in absolute horror. 

“ _ **CODE SEVEN ALERT! CODE SEVEN ALERT! THIS IS A STATE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY. PUBLIC ORDER MUST BE PRESERVED!! ALL CITIZENS ARE PLACED UNDER MILITARY JURISDICTION! ANY BREACH OF THE PEACE WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED!**_ ”

“I think we should seriously fucking book it now.. I think they’ve declared martial law on us.” Kyousuke hissed as he gripped Kei’s wrist, leading her out of the alleyway once the chaos had dimmed down a bit. 

“BUT WHAT ARE THOSE FUCKING THINGS!?” Kaneda blared as he slipped the kid back onto his back, stepping out with Ranze and Michiru. 

“They’re called caretakers. They’re the military’s watch dogs during code seven emergencies.” Michiru said pointedly as she remained stuck to Ranze’s side, almost protectively. 

“Well, aren’t you a fucking genius?” Kaneda rolled his eyes at the younger girl, making her puff up her cheeks and pout. 

“Do you both think it’s a time to go at each other’s throats when people are being murdered on the streets? Exactly. Now come on.” Ranze lectured both of them as she caught up with Kyousuke and Kei.

[ ♡ ]

ＲＡＮＺＥ

Ranze blinked back tears as she sat by the window. They had safely gotten home to Chiyoko to recollect their past thoughts and problems after the overwhelming tiring and painful day they just had. The psychic girl had gotten changed into black tank top and matching black jean shorts after she had taken a long shower. Her heart was swelling with so much pain and loneliness after what had happened and she didn’t know how to react to it. She didn’t want to cry, but her eyes didn’t oblige as she stubbornly continued to blink back the tears.

The door opened, revealing the former leader of the Capsules. Kaneda gasped lowly as their eyes met, his eyes dark with empathy for her—gazing into her own like he never wanted to look away. Ranze felt a sharp pull in her heart, like he had reached inside her and tugged endlessly. Although simultaneously, she was abstractly aware of some kind of warmth starting in the pit of her stomach and shooting upwards at a rapid speed. She compared it to that of her swallowing a ball of fire, which was now traveling at light speed throughout her being. 

Kaneda touched her arm, snapping her out of her pitiful daydreaming. “You okay, Ranz? Need some help?”

Shit. Another burst of heat went through her as she slowly shook her head, knowing all too well she looked dimwitted. Her brain was short-circuiting as she wasn’t able to take in his flawlessness at the current moment. Slightly tanned skin that was littered with old scars from previous battles, ebony black hair that sometimes covered his eyes when he spoke... and his eyes—a luscious dark brown that could be mistaken for black if you didn’t look hard enough. He was so utterly captivating that Ranze couldn’t help but look at him with such adoration... he was a masterpiece.

He raised his eyebrows at her, his eyes silently asking her a question as she looked into them dreamily. “Holy shit, Ranz, you’re crying..”

Ranze frowned when she pulled back a pit, her cheeks were wet with tears she hadn’t even noticed she had been crying. Oh, she truly was a fool in this moment. “Yeah... I noticed now. God, that’s pitiful.”

Kaneda let go of her. “Here’s a tissue.” He said faintly as he pulled out a small tissue from the box beside them. Ranze thankfully took it and wiped her eyes, watching him carefully as he sat down beside the small stereo—looking through the CDs quietly. 

“At least we’re all alive after today, you know?” Kaneda joked as he checked the CDs, chuckling softly at his own remark. Ranze, on the other hand, wasn’t impressed in the slightest, and even a little sad at that.

“I don’t feel good about being alive... Not after that,” Ranze muttered, making Kaneda pause and look at her in frank disbelief and obvious worry.

“What the fuck do you mean by that, Ranz?”

She fiddled with the material of her shorts. “Neo-Tokyo is falling apart at the seams... Children and harmless civilians are dying at the hands of the military and Tetsuo. I’ll stick around to fight, but I don’t think I’d be grateful for being alive in this setting.”

Kaneda pursued his lips, his eyebrows furrowed at her words. “..Jesus, Ranz... I know you’re hurting, I can see it in your eyes. Tetsuo is probably still fucking out there, I know he is. And your mom, that bitch—“

Ranze slammed her fist on the table, the mentioning of her mother triggering her absolute rage. “Don’t _fucking_ mention her!! I-I understand you’re trying to console me and I’m grateful for it, I’ll keep saying that! But calling her a bitch isn’t any better, I don’t want to reminded that I’m related to scum!” She snapped at him viciously, her eyes glossy. Kaneda growled and rotated his body to look at her completely, his patience starting to slip a bit.

“Really, Ranze? I fucking try to help you out and bitch at me like this... What the fuck?! I get that you’re fucking sad, it’s fine that you are! But snapping at me like this.. it-it.. it fucking reminds me of how **bitchy** you are! The way you’d be so fucking cold to me.. that shit fucking hurt and it still does! I never wanted to hear that shit from you!!!” Kaneda hissed back, gritting his teeth with faltering patience as he gave her a leveled stare. Ranze was now clearly taken aback, and the brooding rage inside her was starting to take control.

“I know I’m a bitch, and it’s toxic of me to be like that! I won’t shy away from the fact that I’m like that, but you need to fucking check your own shit too! You’re reckless and a fucking **pain**... you’re difficult to manage! I don’t even think there’s ever been a time where I haven’t wanted to smack you! I don’t fucking get why I’d stick around for you, but I do! You’ve got ups and downs, and I realize that.. But God, I **hate** you... I **hate** you, Shoutarou Kaneda!! Tell the world that Ranze Hayasaka hates the leader of the Capsules, because I fucking do!” Ranze stood up, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as her words slipped foolishly from her mouth. The hatred and the annoyance with Kaneda.. it wasn’t true in any sense, she was just so angry she didn’t know how to control it. She knew she was so stupid to say such a thing, she really knew she was.

Kaneda stammered, looking up at her with wide eyes... somewhere in his eyes, Ranze knew he doubted her so-called “hatred” for him. But the words still hurt and it was showing through his glossy eyes. “K-Keep fucking lying to yourself! That’s what you’ve been doing this whole time!! You don’t fucking hate me.. why would you fucking save me, then!? The time when I passed out on your couch, Kai told me you were checking up on me and everything!! Do you know how fucking good it felt to hear that!? Because frankly, your affection is all I could ever fucking want!! I want you to hold me, I want you to play with my hair.. I want you to fucking love me!! Yeah, tell the fucking world that Shoutarou Kaneda loves Ranze Hayasaka because he fucking does! You would realize that if you weren’t so caught up in your own reality so come down to earth Ranze and fucking accept this reality!!!” Kaneda bit his lip, pausing for a second as his face flushed red after what he said. “I-I... I fucking love you, Ranze... Just fucking accept it.. give me any answer, just tell me you’ll fucking listen to me...”

The music in the stereo started to play right when Kaneda said his final words. Ranze could tell by the riff at the beginning that it was “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King—a song that Yamagata had got them both into back when everything was still peaceful. Ranze couldn’t believe any of her senses after what he had said. Her heart was beating a million miles per hour, and she couldn’t keep track of anything. He reciprocated the feelings she had for him, and needed her to love him. She couldn’t help but want to cry, it was so painful to hear. But other than painful, it was absolutely amazing to her. He loved her just as much as she loved him, he wanted to be her’s and she want to be his. Ranze took it upon herself to walk over to him, taking his hands and pulling him up. She placed his hands on her waist and her arms around his neck before she started to sway to the music. By then, Kaneda had gotten an idea of what she was trying to do and emulated her movements. 

“ _When the night has come, and the land is dark. And the moon is the only light we’ll see._ ” Ranze sang softly as she held him close to her, Kaneda’s eyes started to water uncontrollably as he sniffled—Ranze’s heart melted as she looked at him. “ _No, I won’t be afraid. Ohh, I won’t.. be afraid. Just as long as you stand, stand by me._ ”

“ _So darling, darling, stand by me... Ohh, stand.. by me. Oh, stand, stand by me. Stand by me._ ” Kaneda’s voice cracked as he sang quietly, before tightening his arms around her as he started to cry softly. He rested his head on her shoulder and sobbed, Ranze placed her hand on the back of his head and played with his hair—continuing to sway to the music. 

The long interlude started to play, and Kaneda had lifted his head up to look at Ranze. His eyes were red and his cheeks were wet with his own tears. The way he looked at her made Ranze’s eyes water uncontrollably before she cupped his cheek and brought his face to hers, pressing their lips together.

[ ♡ ]

ＫＡＮＥＤＡ

He felt her cup his damp cheek, before the room started to slip away from him. Ranze pressed her soft lips against his, immediately making the biker revel in the softness and suppleness of her lips. He shut his eyes and slowly eased into the kiss, almost immediately getting lost in it. Kaneda had never gotten so lost in a kiss before, the space between them simply exploded—his heart kept missing beats, going haywire as he couldn’t pull her closer to him. He could taste the sweetness on her lips and with that little bit of her, it dawned at him he was touch-starved. He never loved anyone so passionately before, none of the girls he had fooled around with never felt like this. He had kissed so many girls before but it never burned him alive like this one did. 

Time didn’t have any meaning to them—it could’ve been a minute, it could’ve been an hour. But all he cared about at the present moment was the softness of her skin, and how it brushed against his so nicely. When he had first seen her on the courtyard with Kaori, he didn’t think much of her at all—just surface level shit he didn’t care about. But as they drifted deeper into a bond that grew intimate and comforting for both parties, he realized he was waiting for this for a long time. And now it was within his grasp, the love of his life had him wrapped around her finger and he couldn’t mind _one_ bit.


	2. From The Garden of Eden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆...
> 
> The main group escape the underground facility, as it had been reduced to rubble and remnants of destruction due to the military deciding to use the revered SOL—an orbital weapon that could be controlled to kill Tetsuo, but the results of this attack are unknown to everyone. They take Akira into their custody, leaving him to rest as he is been left unconscious, while more problems break down between the teenagers as Kaneda and Ranze quarrel with each other.. only to reveal vulnerable, gentle sides of themselves to each other. 
> 
> When love has been unlocked by these two stubborn adolescents, potential danger arises in Neo-Tokyo. Perhaps there won’t be the revelation they so desperately wish for...

[ ♡ ]

？？？

The noble young man opened the window of the moving pick-up truck, the coolest breeze flew past him and into the car as it kissed the face’s of his comrades. The fellow man loading a Mateba Autorevolver, the wind whisking his hair as a frown touched his lips. Another man (this one seated in the backseat, adjacent to the left door) in question stared out the window far longer than he would’ve said anything, the reasons behind his quiet nature still rendering in the driver’s mind. While the only female who was seated beside him sat with straightened posture, her ebony ribbons of hair flowing in the meager gusts of wind as she remained quiet. 

The pilot turned his attention back to the vulnerable sky that was trading colours and the winding road ahead of him and his posse. He wasn’t anxious about where he was taking them, as he had convicted himself that decisions he was making were create more good than bad. It took years for Fumihito Takeichi to finally comprehend that letting go of the flawed system Neo-Tokyo was a slave under would be freeing himself and his fellow citizens free from the invisible bondage. He obviously took the difficult route and made his own crime investigation group: Tenshi, which was comprised of four people with their own unique positions that kept their own significance to the upbringing of the group. 

First there was himself, the leader of this entire operation. He took great pride in his role and he would lead his team into greatness, not to mention setting example as he was, in fact, the oldest at age twenty-five. There was his second in command, Toni Akashi, a fairly narcissistic yet uplifting young man who had passion for becoming an artist but inevitably shifted into the life of crime-fighting and solving the mysteries of Neo-Tokyo—a life that interested him much more than anything else. Toni had tan skin and black hair that was bleached blonde at the sides, forming a strange undercut hairstyle that made him so easily identifiable. Then there was the Sora Yamaji, the careless yet whimsical fighter of the group who was far too reckless for his own good, he had joined because he wanted to work as a detective and believed being a part of an underground investigation group would do wonders for his resumé. He had scraggily dark brown hair anda port-wine stain birthmark covering his left eye and the majority of forehead—making him extremely eye-catching as well.And finally, there was Yukiko Chihaya, the newest addition to their group and a studying pathologist that decided to work with their group to apply forensics to their observations. She was elegant and mature, not to mention extremely eloquent in the way she spoke. She had long black hair that reached her lower back, and beautiful diluted cerulean eyes—an extremely rare trait for people of Asian heritage to have, making the group believe she was of mixed heritage, but she simply responded with the fact that when she lived Tsugaru, a place where there were some people who had lightly-coloured eyes. 

They were a strange group, indeed. All with different motives and clashing personalities, not to mention how they looked nothing like the traditional citizens of the neon jungle—they were very beautiful because of these strange quirks. Toni twisted his body in his seat, clicking off his seatbelt and adjusted his position until he was comfortable. Fumihito smiled at him because he knew every little twitch of his body like a mantra. He knew the younger man would never wake up after ten in the morning, and would start his day off with a shot of espresso. Toni was engulfed in his own rage, but what killed the leader was that eerily peaceful look his comrade had. And eventually, he caught Fumihito’s gaze boring into him with intensity. 

_ Fuck. _

He was certainly staring at him for too long over the rim of his glasses, radiating his own aura of confidence as he eyed the younger man carefully. But with a thrashing crack of astonishment, he watched Toni’s lips curving into a half-crescent, making Fumihito’s face searing with a crimson blush as he detached himself from his snooping and snapped his gaze back to the road ahead. 

“So where are we going?” Toni rumbled, smiling a stupid grin that made the older man compeled to punch him in the face. “We’re supposed to seize Azuma, correct? But from what I can tell you’re just leading us down a deserted road in the Sixteenth District.”

“You’re correct about the fact that we’re going to retrieve **Azuma** ,” Fumihito returned, tapping a nervous finger against the leather padding of the steering wheel. He knew he was blushing, blushing like a damn Victorian woman. It’s way past the realm of being pathetic, and into something so humiliating. “We’re going to one of the casinos to locate him, as Sora reported that he’s sneaking in, and using a fake ID since he’s a minor.”

“Then he can be charged with a misdemeanor offense, or even a felony charge if he gambles enough.” The elegant woman spoke from behind them, her red-lacquered nails skimming over the lined paper of her notebook. “And coupled with the charges of stealing, bribery, and escaping from possession of the government... he can face up to massive incarceration periods, even if he is a juvenile—“

“S’okay, we’ll sort out our business with him before we can submit him to the government. We’re only asking for intel on the ESP Project and Tetsuo Shima, then once we’re satisfied, we can bring him back to the state’s welcoming hands,” Sora interrupted the younger feline, waving his hand dismissively. “So let’s just go over what we know about him as of now.”

The controlled clicking of Yukiko’s heels made a staccato sound that echoed off the walls of the car, strategically settling as a metronome to keep their thoughts in check. The man with the bleached undercut hissed, running a finger over the case files of the boy. “ **Azuma Imagawa** , a seventeen year-old boy that recently escaped from the military facility during the height of Tetsuo Shima’s mania. He’s Number 37 in the series, but has generally mediocre offensive powers—but has impressive clairvoyance for someone his age.”

The information was barely enough to fill a case file, not even enough to fill the leader’s head as he pulled up to the valet at the front of the casino. Fumihito could hear the rain coming down hard outside, drenching the earth like a summer storm. It was like that all day, leaving him to slosh around in his chunky loafers. Thunder roiled off in the distance as he clicked the door open, pushing himself off his sweet and swinging his legs out of the car first, shivering as his feet hit a puddle directly under him. There’s enough streetlight for him to see what he’s doing as he opened the door to the back, letting Yukiko and Sora climb out in their impressive get-ups. It was a miracle that they were able to pull off the disguise that they were a wealthy group of socialites, when in fact they were just young adults with too much money that they used it to solve crimes in their corrupt metropolis they called a home. 

Fumihito was wearing a impressive black tuxedo with a striking red tie, coupled with the matching black handkerchief that was tucked into the pocket. Toni had opted to wear a similar suit, but with grey and blue elements instead of the alluring red and black duo, his hair was combed back with gel, making him look sort of like a mafioso—even his facial expressions made him look like he was. Sora had a slim-fit tuxedo with brown and gold sprinkles of colour in it, with the addition of a matching gold septum piercing that emphasized his face more than his birthmark did. Then there was the chillingly beautiful woman, who dawned a classic albeit seductive black dress that hugged her assets very nicely, her hair tied up into a high and sleek ponytail. They were looking equally presentable and ready, armed with weaponry of their choices and communicators hidden behind their earlobes. Tenshi was about to make their appearance.

≿ ————-  ❈ ————- ≾

Fumihito told himself he wasn’t going to rush the process, but pick up the pace a bit, nonetheless. The group of four attractive young adults congregated in the dressing room in the back of the stage, all to plot the scheme they were going to go through with. A flash of lightning illuminated the dark window, making Sora jump in response to the harsh cacophony of noises from the raging storm. They loitered around as Yukiko reapplied her red lipstick, puckering her lips just a bit before turning around and adjusting her communicating headset.

“You know what song you’re going to perform?” Toni grunted at his lustrous comrade, taking a step back to rest against the wall. “‘I’ve Told Every Little Star’ by Linda Scott. Sweet and simple, so get it right.”

“I’ve been listening to that song ever since I was a little girl, so I believe I can deliver a solid performance tonight.” She responded gently, lighting a cigarette with her signature red lighter before taking a long drag of the cancer stick. 

Sora snorted and tugged the hem of the arrogant man’s blazer, making him recoil and slap the younger man’s hand away. “You’ll keep an eye out for us, won’t you, Yukiko?”

“Of course,” She countered, reaching for the ash tray as she dug her cigarette butt into the pristine glass. She eyed Fumihito and her other comrades carefully, not a drop of hesitance or uncertainty in her words. “I wouldn’t be throwing myself into this line of work if I wasn’t going to expect going undercover at a rotting casino.”

A smile lingered on the leader’s face, shoving his hand into his pockets as his pride didn’t dim a single watt. “That’s the spirit. We’ll let you distract the boy, and then we’ll offer to play a game of blackjack with him.”

“I think we’re gonna lose a lot of money tonight,” Sora predicted, adjusting his septum warily as they filed out of the room to leave the alluring young woman to prepare herself. “I hate gambling, man!”

Toni smiled dryly and reminded him, “ _You_ will, not me.”

[ ♡ ]

ＹＵＫＩＫＯ

Perhaps there was blood on her Louboutin’s as she walked onto that stage in all of her miraculous and eye-catching glory. Of all the jokes people had cracked about Yukiko, they could have never imagined that such a elegant and swan-like woman would be getting her hands dirty with criminal investigation and pathology. Yukiko glanced down at the audience of mostly old men and young women, adorned in jewels and revealing dresses. But they were going to be left dryer than a desert, as the beautiful vigilante would be unintentionally sopping up all of the attention in order for the best results could be achieved that night. 

The music began to play and she adjusted the microphone, standing in place as she swung her hips to the rhythm—her movements so mesmerizing and coordinated that many gamblers batted their eyes at her for mere seconds. “Oh, baby, I’ve told every little star. Just how sweet I think you are... why haven’t I told you?” She sang, snapping her fingers to the jolly tune as her hands made smooth and dancerly gestures, the words slipping from her lips easily as she was collecting the attention of the foolish boy in the corner, his eyes watching her with great scrutiny. Bingo.

“I’ve told ripples in a brook, made my heart an open book! Why haven’t I told you?” She nodded at Sora carefully, who seated himself in front of the adolescent with a deck of his own cards. The two other men accompanied the young man with the strange birthmark, distracting the young man from the performer on the illuminated stage. 

The instrumental of the song began, coincidentally with the old men throwing money at her with great levels of lust in their foggy eyes. ‘How distasteful, this wasn’t a strip club, you can at least show some class for a woman,’ The woman internally scoffed as she narrowed her eyes at the men who reached out to her, trying to grab hold of her and bring her down to them. She moved away, maintaining well-synced movements before meaty digits clasped themselves around her ankle. Oh, that was the proverbial last straw for the woman as she spun around, stomping on the man’s forearm with her free foot as he let out a wailing shriek that alarmed the whole casino, even with the loud music still playing. 

“Fumihito,” She hissed, the name pushing past her pinched lips like a razor slicing through flesh. This signaled the older man to get up, running to the stage with his arms opened wide for her. The woman sighed quietly, shaking her head as she strategically dropped her handkerchief and bowed, before leaping off the stage and into the leader’s waiting arms. “Take Azuma and steer us out of here before they can catch our license plate!”

Fumihito nodded mechanically as he pushed past the group of people, letting Yukiko trailed behind him with her pocket knife poised in her hands. She watched from her peripheral when Toni and Sora, flipped the table over and grabbed the teenage boy, Toni swinging him over with ease as they made their breakthrough exodus. They took the emergency fire exit, only to their relief that they saw Fumihito rounding up the car and opening the back driver’s side door for them to clamber in.

Toni strapped the kicking and screaming boy into the back seat, while Yukiko and Sora sedated him as they sped out of the parking lot and onto the main highway. Azuma was thrashing like a wild animal, cursing out strings of obscenities as he had been apprehended by a group of people he had just been acquainted with. 

“We’re not gonna hurt you,” Fumihito said carefully, his throat raw as he veered down the winding roads of the Sixteenth District. “This is certainly a bad way to get your attention, and I’m sorry. Just hear us out and we’ll work out a compromise!!”

“Fumihito...” Yukiko leaned forward, looking into the cockpit of the car with irritation in her beautiful blue eyes as she stared her leader down. “You do realize picking up a minor that we’ve never met can be considered a crime, right? Even if we do have licenses for investigation, this was a foolish plan.”

Sora swallowed hard, looking as if he could hear his own heartbeat in his ears. The momentary bouts of fear trickled through his veins, knowing it will catch a spark like gasoline. They couldn’t risk losing this opportunity, though.

“Azuma Imagawa, we’re not here to endanger you. We’re here to interview you with what you saw at the facility, specifically if you’ve seen anything concerning Tetsuo and his powers.” Toni spoke sternly as he dragged his gaze back to the young boy, eyeing him great scrutiny as the young lad paused, his face damp with sweat as he faltered. 

≿ ————-  ❈ ————- ≾

Azuma glanced down, eyebrows furrowed, and one of his hands tightened as he gripped the fabric of his t-shirt. “I’m not saying shit,” He said stubbornly, furiously shaking his head as his dark brown hair bounced with his movements. 

“If you don’t tell us, you won’t be of use to us and we’ll just report you to the police. You have a criminal record, dude.” Sora sighed, lighting his cigarette as he attempted to reason with the young boy. 

“So what? I’ll bail myself out if I can.”

“The military will take notice of it and send you back to their facility, which means you’re going back to your square one. The place you escaped from in the first place.” Toni hissed. 

“ _You’re killing me right now with this shit..._ ”

Yukiko flinched at his choice of words. “We’ll start off with easy questions just so we’re not bombarding you. The last thing we want is a mental case on our hands.”

“Fucking hell...” The voice of the delinquent sputtered, recoiling as the swan of a woman reached for her notepad and pen. 

“First things first: When were you admitted into the hospital? Exact dates are preferable, if you can give them.”

“...December of last year... I don’t remember what day but I know it was before Christmas.”

“Okay, then.. How were you taken away? Did they pull you out when you were in school, or did they come to your house...”

“I was homeschooled, so they came to my house. My mom nearly had a fucking heart attack when she saw them banging on the door, she thought it was the feds coming to get us. But they just took me and I haven’t heard from her since last year...”

Sora smirked, raising his fist in attempt to console the boy. “Dude, you too? I was homeschooled too—!”

“Shut your trap already!” Fumihito snapped at the generous young man, making him frown and sink into his seat with defeat. 

“Now, what exactly were you greeted with when you first walked into the facility? What did you see?”

“I-I.. I guess it was some stupid examination, where they just fucked around with my head. It was like some huge metal chamber, y’know?” Azuma’s drifted to the older woman, taking the time to drag up and down her body. “Then I got the worst headache of my life for an entire weak.. it was like a migraine. But way, way worse.”

“That’s a common side effects, no?” Toni piped up from the passenger seat, to which Sora dissolved into raucous laughter making the man the bleached hair slap the sense out of him. “Shut up already!”

The boy in question runs his hands up and down his exposed arms, shivering despite the blistering heat of the night. “Other patients got it too, so yeah, it is.”

“I see,” Yukiko whispered, scribbling down the important notes in her messages. “Perhaps it varies depending on the person. If the patient in question has powers that are more defensive than offensive, it could cause crippling migraines... and there is a sedative you took for this, correct?”

With a deep breath, Azuma pressed the sweaty palm of his hand to his forehead. “I... I... Y-Yeah, there is... “

“If this is too much for you, we can continue this another day. We’ll check you into a hotel under our name and continue this another day over breakfast, but we’re keeping a tracker in you just to make sure you don’t go anywhere.”

“F-Fine... Just let me go when you’re done.. so I can go home to my mother. I fucking.. never mind.”

The pain in the poor boy’s was very telling of his current situation. He was in turmoil, he didn’t know what he was doing with himself now that he was in their custody. Yukiko pitied him, his eyes were blood shot and he looked like he was crying earlier on. May God have mercy on this young man’s soul before it was too late for him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This was another story building chapter to introduce the new OC’s that will be making their significant debut. Tenshi is looking for insight on Tetsuo and are comprised of some very interesting people ^^ And Azuma! A character who has been in the custody of the military because of his own psychic powers... more will be revealed next time. So i hope you enjoyed it :)
> 
> Criticism and feedback is welcomed in the comments! ♡


	3. Demise and Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆...
> 
> In the wealthier districts of Neo-Tokyo, a crime-fighting group by the name of “Tenshi” takes it upon themselves to look into Tetsuo Shima and the Esper’s case—unfolding all of the mayhem and carnage that goes along with their psychic powers. They eventually shut their sights to a psychic teenage boy by the name of Azuma, who broke free from the military asylum not too long after Tetsuo and Ranze. They decide to interrogate him after bringing him back from a casino they were scoping out.
> 
> With new search parties and affiliations being thrown into the mixture of chaos, what sort of justice will prevail when more of these simple people get involved in complex matter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, this is your trigger warning for the start of this chapter, so if any of these topics make you uncomfortable, relapse, or disturbed—please click off for the sake of your health and safety.
> 
> This chapter will deal with disturbing themes, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, and child abuse. 
> 
> If you are feeling alone or that there is no hope, please contact a hotline in order to have someone you can turn to in times of crisis. The suicide prevention number for Canada is 1-833-456-4566 and it is accessible 24/7 for you to get the help you need. Just know that there is no reason to invalidate your own suffering and that you are a human being, everything you have gone through is completely valid and that people out there support you for your strength. You are strong and a worthy of love <3

[ ♡ ]

ＭＩＣＨＩＲＵ

𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗼𝗸𝗼’𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁, 𝗻𝗲𝗼-𝘁𝗼𝗸𝘆𝗼

𝟭𝟬 : 𝟯𝟬

Michiru had always loved the holiday season—the timeless memories it brought, how her family from all over Japan would come and visit her and Mamoru, and the delicious food she couldn’t help but binge. Back when her father wasn’t swamped with the overwhelming piles of work and when Mamoru still lived in the country, he would make effort to purchasing extravagant gifts for his beloved wife and children while Michiru’s mother made the whole house’s aroma plagued with gingerbread and sweet peppermint cookies. The precious teenager would gorge on all the delicacies that were brought to her, but as she had gotten older there was the overbearing necessity that built inside of her, nestled in the deepest crevices of her rib cage. She knew she couldn’t get away with filling herself with so much food and by now, all she ever desired was to be empty—weightless, even.

She had been living without the sun for years on end, and she didn’t know if she could do it for any longer. Michiru had thought about letting that choking emptiness, that devouring absence swallowing her numerous times, grind her into the spec of dust she believed she was ought to be. She had already felt as though she had been dead, so how would actuality be any different? She had yet to improve her physique, she needed to be the perfect and approachable daughter—yet she wanted carnage and chocolate cake... she was going to withdrawal it from her body, anyway. 

That was why she was in the bathroom. That was why she was on her knees, her head rested on the toilet bowl before her, shaking fists clutching at the white ceramic that gaped at the flickering light above her—waterfalls cascading from her eyes that burned with the effort it took to keep them open. All she wanted to do was close them for good and surely, she would wake up with the body that she wanted—a body that was worthy of praise and self-satisfaction. Trembling fingers traced over the rim of the seat as she engraved her humility and dinner into the water, albeit the dissatisfaction remained in her bones for what seemed like eternity. Michiru didn’t deserve the fame and attention she had received, not when she believed she looked like a filthy cretin. 

She couldn’t breathe. Invisible hands had closed around her throat, clawing at her skin in an attempt for her to let out more from the inside—to purge all of the filth that rotted her body like maggots and worms. In a quickened breath and vision-tinged black, Michiru felt like she going home. She felt warmth for the first time in a long time. It wasn’t like she was important in Neo-Tokyo, anyway—and Michiru couldn’t begin to recollect the countless times her brain had claimed that her participation was meaningless, that she was a worthless waste of space. That not even Ranze, Kyousuke, or her other new comrades would even miss the fact that she had taken off for Yokohama. Even worse, she could never forget the voice in her head telling her that it wished for her downfall—the prospect of her own failure mutilated Michiru’s heart. 

Michiru’s eyes flickered shut, just for a moment, but it was long enough for the image of Mamoru’s cold fingers, pale with frost, to flicker through her consciousness. His fingernails well-kept as he caressed her luscious locks. Living, in itself, was difficult. But living with the belief of knowing no one cared about her continuing to breathe or not was something else entirely. While the crushing loneliness that gripped her by the throat could only tighten.

[ ♡ ]

ＫＥＩ

“You’re really going at it, Kaneda,” Kyousuke scoffed as the younger boy aggressively chewed up his ramen, “You should slow done. You’re gonna choke, and how convenient do you think that’ll be when we lose another valuable teammate?”

“I’m sure you’d be doing the same thing if you wanted Kei to resuscitate you, Kyousuke,” Ranze said plainly as she sprayed some sort of sour concoction onto her tongue, making her blanche noticeably. “ _...Ugh, that’s vile..._ ”

Ranze sat with Kaneda as he ate, their eyes exchanging a silent conversation as they looked at each other with such a fondness for each other. The oldest teenager chuckled earnestly as he fell onto the futon, cushioning his head with his arms as he attempted to slumber successfully—even after all of the mayhem they had endured. Kei could only hope that, wherever Ryusaku was, he would be safe and smoking his favourite brand of cigarettes while his face was painted with the smile she grew to adore. The second oldest was steadfast in her vigil, never taking her dark eyes off of Kyousuke. They roamed his shattered face, his shoulders that relaxed with the force of his breathing, the pale and spidery scars that peeked out of his sleeves. Kei’s hands were fisted in her lap, though they itched to reach out and touch him. 

Albeit the introduction of Chiyoko was enough for the Resistance member to snap her head around to look at the heavyset women, who held the landline phone in her large hands. “Any luck?” Kei murmured, toying with the material of her jeans as she rose from the carpeted floor while Ranze leaned in to listen carefully, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear and straightening her tank top. Her dark eyes were gentle as she gave Chiyoko a curious glance, almost shy in a sense. 

“No,” Chiyoko answered, shifting her body to look at the two girls—to which both of them exhaled in obvious disappointment. “The phones are still out and people are in hiding.”

“Kei, you don’t need to worry about Ryu,” The woman added sternly as she tightened her apron sternly, casting a motherly glance at the oldest girl in a seemingly rushed manner. “He can take good care of himself. He’s an adult man, after all. There’s no need for you to be hung up over his well-being.”

“Yeah, that’s true...” Kei responded softly, rubbing the side of her arm as her sad eyes brightened ever so slightly.

[ ♡ ]

ＣＯＬＯＮＥＬ

𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗼-𝘁𝗼𝗸𝘆𝗼  


Colonel Shikishima took Mamoru to the parliament meeting. He normally would have been worried that his prized son was accompanying him during business matters but Mamoru had grown into a sturdy and reliable young man... sans that wretched Jonah complex he was a slave under. He had greatness in his grasp, just like his father, if he wasn’t afraid of achieving such success and salvation with an iron fist—he would be unstoppable. But the businessman was cautious and worrisome of losing himself to greed, failing to recognize his omnipotence. But the colonel knew he had to stay and support his oldest child, even if it meant tolerating his condition—Mamoru was still his flesh and blood, his son by genetics but his comrade by choice. 

The young adult was tracing strange symbols on the table with his finger while father listened to the incessant yacking of the older officials. “370 people are dead, and we still don’t have a complete census on the number of citizens injured! Who can we hold accountable for this!?” A fairly older man squawked, banging his fist on the table with indescribable rage. 

“Never mind who’s to blame!! What about tomorrow’s parliamentary inquiry!?” Another representative countered with equal ferocity. “We can hardly offer them the Akira Project as an explanation for what’s occurred!” 

The whole sight took the man’s breath away in an appalled gasp. And so did the group of four young adults that waltzed in casually, all of them dressed in professional attire. Colonel Shikishima threw his glance back to his son sitting beside him, only to realize he had been surveying the stunning, swan-like woman that accompanied the three other men—this made the gruff man sigh in disapproval at his son’s discreet attempt at monitoring the luscious creature. 

“Couldn’t we just sell the project to the Americans and use the money to offset out the losses?” One of the directors offered, making the other members look at him incredulously. 

“THAT WILL ONLY MAKE MATTERS WORSE!!” 

“But whose fault is this!?”

“ARE YOU VOLUNTEERING TO TAKE THE BLAME!?”

“ _Would someone please listen to me...?_ ” The tallest young adult and the presumed leader of the crime group spoke maturely, tapping his fist against the wooden table to get their attention before an accomplice of his swiped numerous papers off of the table with unholy aggression—making all of the scrawny old men look at the eye-catching group of rebels.

“Open your goddamn ears and listen to what the younger generation has to say, you ugly pigeons—!“ The man with the blonde undercut had his mouth covered by a younger man, who giggled cheerfully at the sudden bravado of his rough comrade. 

“ _Oh my God, Toni..._ ” The female with electrifying blue eyes exhaled, trying to process the information flooding her senses all at once. “Our sincerest apologies for how he berated all of you. But if you could all settle down and listen to us, we can handle this in a sensible way. Please just take into consideration with what Fumihito-san has to say.”

Miraculously, the old men and their raging tempers settled down thanks to the brash young man’s action—but deep down, Colonel Shikishima believed they were simply willing to please a remarkably gorgeous and classy young woman, who’s dress clung to her plentiful curves as she backed against the wall. That singular prospect made Colonel Shikishima sick to his stomach as he gnawed at the inside of his cheek, albeit Mamoru had gotten a hold of himself and had his sights placed on the leader—the infamous Fumihito Takeichi.

“Thank you, Yukiko-san. But yes, what I’m inciting here is that we should take into consideration the subjects being placed into the Akira Project. As of recently, there’s been in a notable spike in cases, specifically adolescents and young adults—just about a month ago there was a teenage boy and girl from the Eighteenth District being taken into the project,” Fumihito explained with great pride, pacing around the meeting room with his hands tightened around his back sternly as his eyes zeroed in on the old men. “15-year old Tetsuo Shima and 16-year old Ranze Hayasaka... both have whereabouts that are currently unknown. But their powers are very impressive for their ages, one holds the vessel of destruction while the other nurtures and heals—so perhaps they’ve joined forces against us?”

“B-But... could that mean they’re crusading innocent civilians for the sake of their own gain? Then we must purge all psychics, including the ones involved in the Akira Project—!”

“Murdering all psychics is simply barbaric, as you’re not making our case any better with harming a minority for powers they can’t control. And incarcerating them hasn’t been proven successful either, as plenty of these entities have escaped since the project was formed,” He debunked the old man with the flick of his wrist and a sharp quip of his tongue as he walked to the doors, his comrades joining him almost on instinct. “I’m aware that a powerful drug has been surfacing around the black market, even the stronger than the one the science facilities have access to. The **Ueda-gumi** has ample access to this steroid... I’m sure we can pinpoint them, no?”

And with the mentioning of the fearsome Yakuza syndicate, the room was in hysterics when the door shut—Tenshi had made their point loud and clear.

“Ueda-gumi!? Are they taking us for fools!?”

“Do they believe we can whisk a meager drug from the strongest Yakuza syndicate in all ofJapan!?!”

“Oh my Lord! We’d be better off dead by crossing paths with them!!”

[ ♡ ]

ＭＡＭＯＲＵ

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝘆

“Rumour has it that this disaster was the result of the testing of military weaponry that went awry, Colonel!! We have data here that supports—!”

“There are always rumours! Rumours and misinformation disseminated by radical forces trying to create a national state of panic!!” Mamoru heard his father cry, standing at the podium defending what little remnants of honour he still had in his bones. Mamoru could only sink into his chair, sipping his water as the cool liquid traveling down his throat soothed him into feigned tranquility. “The Code Seven alert was set in motion by a computer error! There was a malfunction in the defense systems! That is simply all that it ever was!!”

Mamoru had never seen Mr Nezu in the flesh before, but the shriveled old rat—as his name would clearly imply—sat parallel to him, on the other side of the courtroom with a fairly young teenage girl behind him. He had never seen her before either, she looked like she was a high school student, so why was she at an important government meeting when this strictly for adults? Even so, she was particularly intimidating as her eyes looked to be forced open, staring harshly at the people who even dared to gawk at her. And as he thought that, the aforementioned teenage girl straightened and shot him a narrowed glance, to which he glanced back at her in a leveled manner. 

“...As I have already stated, there are certain radical forces attempting to exploit this situation as it now exists...”

≿ ————-  ❈ ————- ≾

“ _Where did your group come from?_ ”

The newly-acquainted young adults stood outside, beside one of the pillars of the structure as Mamoru had caught up to them after the meeting. Sora whistled, dropping his cigarette onto the ground and digging his sole into a ruined cancer stick. “Oh, I’m from here! I grew up in the Fourth District—“

“Are you fucking stupid? He’s asking how’d we even get into government spaces, you fucking _retard_. You’re not reliable at all, I don’t get why Fumihito would let some foolish dickhead like you join—“ Toni was cut off by the aforementioned leader placing his hand on the younger’s shoulder, nervously consoling his accomplice to calm down—to which he shrugged his hand off and pushed him away. “You’re not worthy of touching me, so fuck off...”

“Excuse Toni, Shikishima-san. He’s rather blunt and... _toxic_ with the way he presents himself and expects others to act around him,” Yukiko explained, then turned away from Mamoru. “We’re a crime group led by Fumihito-san. He comes from a pivotal aristocrat family that works with government policies, so we have key access to events like this.”

“Essentially what she said,” Fumihito laughed nervously, shifting back and forth on his feet. “You’re the son of the Colonel, aren’t you? Don’t you have a sister as well?”

“Oh, yes, I do,” Mamoru responded, pulling his coat tighter around him, despite the fact that the weather was indeed very pleasant. “I’m interested in your line of work, perhaps you could give me a business card for contact information?”

“Well, of course! Since you asked you nicely and even offered to talk with us, I’d be more than happy to have a chat with you about our work,” The dark-haired leader beamed as he took out a black card from his pocket and handing it to the businessman, to which he peered at the silver-printed text with deep curiosity. “We have a meeting later on today so we’ll be away from the phone, but if you can call at any other time we’ll be sure to respond.” 

“Erm, yes, absolutely. I’m sure you’re all very busy, especially with the crime being at its highest this time around,” Mamoru began, just as Sora cooed teasingly to Yukiko before she swatted his hand away from him, glancing at Mamoru once more. She gave him a sheepish smile as she fixed her ebony locks with a nervous hand, to which the older man responded with a gentle nod. “I’ll keep in touch, then. If there’s any more for you to clarify about the Akira Project, it would be greatly appreciated.”

[ ♡ ]

ＳＥＴＳＵＫＯ

Setsuko’s footsteps were impossibly light as she followed Mr Nezu to the top floor—where his office resided. It was dark along the staircase, and somehow she melted into the shadows, only reappearing right beside him when other people went down the stairs, their wide eyes flashing with a vague sense of curiosity when they saw her. Of course, teenager was considered to be pretty, even quite beautiful by the people who didn’t regard her aura. But Setsuko knew it was very surface-level things they had thought about her—after all, they never saw the brutal scars that marred the flesh of her back, the trauma that plagued the back of her mind, and how deep down, she was a soft and empathetic human being. Her eyes would sometimes twinkle when she was around the right people, but that was a rare occurrence. As she had grown to know that in this world, it was a punishment to be deemed as submissive and vulnerable. She had made the obscene decision to hunt down the people that ruined the city of Neo-Tokyo—the old men and women that let poor civilians suffer under their boots. Mr Nezu had told her it was for the sake of her survival, but ultimately.. Setsuko had known she was only a child that wanted to protect the people around her. 

The two of them stepped into the empty office, which as a whole, was eclectic and unexpectedly well-decorated for someone of Nezu’s tastes and credentials. The old man coughed awkwardly, shuffling towards the taller girl and seating himself precariously in front of her. That was when Setsuko felt the wooden cane be whipped against her cheek, her body moving to the side awkwardly from the pitiful force of the old man. The pain was searing her cheek rapidly, the harsh fibers of the wood digging against the skin of her porcelain mandible. Setsuko’s glittering black eyes were empty, as she watched the old man, not bothering to give her an ounce of pity as he pushed her back with his cane. Mr Nezu ran a hand through his thinning, graying hair, then turned his attention to picking the scabs on his bruised knuckles. The scabs from beating the poor girl that didn’t bother to fight back, merely accepting the heavy fists like a penance. Although deep down, there was retaliation nestled deep within that broken heart of the innocent girl, she hated Mr Nezu with fiery passion, and wanted him gone.

“ _Well, aren’t you tough?_ ” The joke held no humour, and fell upon the deafening ears of the bewildered girl. “You made a fool out of me today, especially with the way you walk and talk to others. God, you scare everyone around me! I’m planning on arranging for you to be replaced by someone else—but don’t worry, you’ll remain as my private hitman.” He mewled, reaching over to swirl his glass and the dark amber liquid within it.

“ _Is that so...?_ ” Setsuko spoke softly, her voice remaining calm, but there was a growl to it that was hidden expertly—as Setsuko was undoubtedly very intelligent with how she acted upon many things. “My dearest apologies, then. I’m greatly ashamed for not being able to be a successful ‘protector’ to you, Nezu-san.” There was a sudden knock at the door, accompanied with the cacophony of ringing phones, Mr Nezu had a visitor.

“Yeah, yeah... I want you _out_ of my sight, you **freak**. Now go! Excuse yourself before you continue to make more of a mockery of me!” The mousy old man waved her off, dismissing her from his line of sight—to which she obediently obeyed, her eyes glued to the ground as she turned on her heel and opened the door. 

Her hair covered her eyes as she walked down the hall, a bruise now forming on her cheek as she went into the bathroom. Mr Nezu’s words were the only thing in her head, the seriousness with which he had said them, accompanied by the lack of twinkle in his dark, dark eyes. Setsuko sat on the sterile tiled floor, hugging her knees as her body was overwhelmed with fear and loneliness—the pain in her cheek was nothing compared to what she had endured in the past, but the words uttered to her made it seem like Setsuko was never going to safe and happy.

6 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰...

𝘖𝘺𝘮𝘺𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯, 𝘚𝘢𝘬𝘩𝘢 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤, 𝘙𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢

The frigid Russian winds were no longer playful that night and had taken on a harsh chill, and the once soft, plush snow was now sharper and colder than shattered glass piercing Setsuko’s knees. The dirtied locks of her pristine black hair hid her face, and darkness shattered her vision in an impenetrable, wet hell. Her skin, once pale, creamy, and warm, wept blood from the open gashes on her back from the sickles and baseball bats being used on her.

Setsuko let out a sharp cry of shock when her hair was grasped harshly, testing her scalp with harsh tugs before her face was pushed into the bucket of water. Plates clattered onto the ground in broken symphonies as her gurgling sobs and screams were made painfully audible. The scene was grotesque and dark, but the fellow trainees could only watch in terror as the only Japanese student was being aggressively harmed and abused. 

She let out another yelp, bringing her trembling hands onto the ankles of her assailant and clawing at them aggressively in an attempt to bring her head up from the water. The wind on her exposed back nipping ferociously as her fresh cuts and wounds, before another crop was slapped against her shoulder blade—creating yet again, a rotten bruise on Setsuko’s ruined flesh. 

Her superior’s laughter boomed from above her, cruel and savage enough that it seemed to pierce her chest and tear at her heart; more blood began to pour down the side of her back, and Setsuko had realized, she wasn’t drifting closer out of consciousness the longer that she was underwater. 

She was sticky with the heat of her own blood, her heart pounding through every inch of her body as she struggled to break free. Her head spun, from the blood loss to the air being squeezed out of her lungs and being filled with water... but the terror of that cruel, unceasing laugh yanked at her vision the most, the edges of the world seeping into endless black, until the abyss devoured Setsuko.

_** “Have you learned your lesson, Number 777?” ** _

[ ♡ ]

ＲＡＮＺＥ

Ranze’s brain was a unique place. She was always shocked by how compartmentalized everything was. Memories shuffled away by relative ages, academic and street knowledge separated from each other with various subjects tabbed. It was tidy and proper, like an office building or a cookie-cutter condo. But for all its orderliness, it was tinged with sadness, casting a low light across it all was enough to dampen the ravenette’s mood even a little bit. 

She felt as though she had entered a strange, apocalyptic world, where darkness reigned and everyone in her vicinity had disappeared, living the office of a brain complete barren and... alone. Ranze was always gentle with how she paraded around looking into the intimate space of someone else’s mind—but in Kaneda’s, she was even more so. Everything she touched would flash before her eyes, and if she wasn’t careful enough she could set him over the edge while still trapped inside. Ranze believed it was remarkable how the human mind could go into overdrive when panicked, injured, or overstimulated with red sirens blaring while iron bars clattered down. Like a maximum security prison in a sense. 

But for now, she was away from her beloved lover for the time being—and surely, it was definitely strange referring to him in that sense. But there was no bitterness between them, only addictively sweet melancholy and strength they could both look for in each other. Kei and Ranze had opted to meet Mr Nezu on one of Neo-Tokyo’s boulevards, in an attempt to reconcile and uncover more hidden secrets. It was a brisk, humid day and the slender feline had decided to wear a navy and grey argyle tank top with a white, short-sleeved collared shirt under it, accompanied by a dark grey plaid skirt, black stockings, and black sneakers. While Kei had chosen a much more professional look, with an oversized brown blazer, tight black leather pants, a black tank top, and regular red converse. With the additional accessory of aviator sunglasses that were too big for her, to which Ranze teased the older girl for how they slipped down her nose. 

“Ah, Kei and Hayasaka!” Mr Nezu finally greeted the two teenagers before another word was spoken between the two girls. He was hobbling pathetically on his cane, making Ranze look at him with a flash of sympathy... but the air became stiff when he was around, like he had just argued with someone and was faking an approachable attitude. 

Kei swept up the conversation with her beaming attitude while Ranze remained wary with the wavelengths of energy flowing all around them—it simply didn’t feel very right at all. Mr Nezu felt cold and distant, not even an ounce of reliability or warmth in the way his energy spoke to the psychic teenager. And then... there was something else, but this feeling was extremely familiar and Ranze could pinpoint where she had last felt this aura—it was at Lady Miyako’s temple. So childlike and innocent, but energetic and boisterous... Was Sakaki near? 

“So where’s _Setsuko?_ I was hoping to see her again, and I think Ranze would’ve wanted to meet her too.” Kei asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she narrowed her eyes at Mr Nezu, who’s face immediately went white from her observation.

Now Mr Nezu’s energy was undoubtedly off—but even so, who was this Setsuko-girl? Well, that wasn’t of too much significance now. As Mr Nezu had been thumbing his eyebrow and avoiding their piercing stares, Ranze’s crossed arms, Kei’s foot tapping aggressively. Surrounded by an aroma of soft, lavender of perfume (courtesy of Ranze), he looked at them in a hilariously incredulous manner, to which the fiery ravenette repressed an eye roll. 

“ _Well?_ ” Ranze prompted.

“Well,” He mimicked, wincing as he earned himself an unhinged groan from Kei. “She’s off to look for someone else. She’s a busy girl, after all, so it’s best not to prod into her business, no?”

Ranze’s eyes flashed dangerously, and Mr Nezu stepped backwards, rubbing the back of his neck before pulling out a small card with an unknown address on it—to which Kei snatched from him quickly. “A-Anyways... This is the address to my vacation home in the 24th District.. Be sure to bring Akira there when you can!!” 

“ _Bring Akira?_ ” Ranze grumbled, her eyes on the floor. “I don’t... Urgh, never mind...”

“Hey, wait!” Kei called out, the younger girl’s quiet murmuring almost nonexistent to the older girl as Mr Nezu rotated his head back to look at her. “Have you heard from Ryusaku?”

“No news... We’ve had virtually no contact.”

[ ♡ ]

ＡＺＵＭＡ

Azuma wanted to punch her in the face. She looked, frankly, like she was doing nothing but remaining still on the roof of the building—guarding him like there was no other purpose to her life. Setsuko looked like a ghost, skin paler than the moon under the harsh, fluorescent lights. Lustrous and shiny black hair fellow over her forehead; freshly washed and smelling like sweet citrus as she had showered not too long ago. She was much shorter than him, and her body was turned for the opened view of the metropolis, almost as if she was taking in the beauty of it all. But she was blocking his view, despite how pretty he perceived her to be... he hated the way she acted more than anything. 

“If you don’t feel safe around me, you can just tell me,” Setsuko broke the silence with her fake, doll-like voice. “I’m sure my presence is off-putting.. I don’t quite know how I can make it more bearable to others—“

Azuma shook his head violently before getting up, lurching towards her. “Off-putting? That’s how you fucking describe the way you act? You’re a fucking robot at this point!” He croaked, clenching his fist as he felt a swirling rage brooding in his rib cage. “Yet you say you don’t know how to make it bearable for others...? You’re a **liar** , that’s what you are!”

He could see it in her slumped shoulders, her hair that was shockingly black, with the faint blueish hues that made it very eye-catching. But her appearance was foolish now... except for when she turned her head to look at him, and he could see the ugly purple bruise on her cheek. Even the twinkling in her eyes was dim, and he could recognize it—the poison of guilt and regret. 

“A robot and a liar...” She copied his words quietly, her eyes narrowing slightly. “But I have a mind of my own, I _can_ think for myself.”

“You can think for yourself?” Azuma scoffed, fisting at the material of his shirt aggressively. “Yeah, yeah, continue lying! The reason why you’re so high up in the ranks is that you’re a stuck-up, you’re always kissing Nezu’s ass! Unlike you, I work for the shit I have and I don’t rely off of petty _nepotism!!!_ ” 

“It wasn’t nepotism,” She began, her calm tone not wavering one bit. Damn, he wasn’t getting anywhere with her. “I was pulled out of school to serve and fight for Nezu-san.. that’s what I was ought to do. I sacrificed _much more_ than you think to achieve the status I have now.”

“Really? And what happened before that? I see that ugly bracelet on your wrist, what does ‘777’ even mean, huh?” He paused, hauling a deep, deep breath into her lungs before continuing to berate her. “Did you come from some sort of freak show? Did you get auctioned off by someone so you could work for Mr Nezu? Damn, I’d like to know how much you were priced at!! 2000... 5000 yen?! I bet you weren’t much at all!!” 

“ _That’s not it_ ,” She whispered, her eyes piercing into his with great seriousness, almost like she was warning him. But Azuma was going to ride this one out, and he would do as much as it would take to make her snap. He moved closer to her, grabbing the collar of her shirt and yanking it down to reveal the gruesome abundance of scars that marred her back. This made Setsuko recoil and punch him in the face with as much force as she could muster—it was there that Azuma felt one of his teeth be knocked out due to the sheer force of her punch. “ _ **That’s not it!!**_ _You’re speaking lies yourself, you’re not even listening to me... No one does...!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, this was a difficult chapter to write, but I managed. I personally relate to Michiru’s character a lot as I also suffered from bulimia (and I continue to occasionally relapse from it) even when I’m older. And Setsuko’s case hasn’t gotten any better. Things will get much more crazy later on in this volume, so I hope you’re all prepared for the angst and thrills I plan on writing
> 
> Feedback and criticism is welcome and appreciated <3

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my goodness.. quite a lot of flavour in the first chapter! But now we’re seriously in the depth of the storyline now, and with that the true romantic relationship Ranze and Kaneda has begun, along with the backstories of many other characters. I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please, feel free to write any criticism and comments in the comment section! ^^


End file.
